In the days of the Dutch government, a government of North Sumatra
named Gouvernement van
SumatraSumatra with the area covering the whole of the
island of Sumatra, headed by a governor who is based in the city of
Medan.

After independence, the first session of the National Committee of
Regions (KND),
SumatraSumatra was then divided into three sub-provinces
namely North Sumatra, Central
SumatraSumatra and South Sumatra. North Sumatra
province itself is an amalgamation of three administrative regions
called residency namely: Residency of Aceh, East
SumatraSumatra Residency,
and residency of Tapanuli.

With the publication of the Law of the Republic of
IndonesiaIndonesia (R.I.)
No. 10 Year 1948 on April 15, 1948, it was determined that
SumatraSumatra is
divided into three provinces, each of which has the right to organize
and manage their own household, namely: North Sumatra, Central Sumatra
Province, and South
SumatraSumatra Province. Date 15 April 1948 subsequently
determined as the anniversary of North
SumatraSumatra Province.

In early 1949, the reorganization of government back in Sumatra. With
the decision of the Government Emergency R.I. No. 22 / Govt /
Emergency Government on May 17, 1949, abolished the post of Governor
of North Sumatra. Furthermore, the Government Emergency Decree R.I. on
December 17, 1949, established the province of
AcehAceh and Tapanuli
Province / East Sumatra. Then, with a Government Regulation in lieu of
Law No. 5 Year 1950 on August 14, 1950, such provisions shall be
lifted and reshaped North
SumatraSumatra Province.

Act R.I. No. 24 of 1956, promulgated on December 7, 1956, established
an autonomous region of
AcehAceh province, independent of the province of
North Sumatra.

GEOGRAPHY

Lake Toba, World's largest volcanic lake

The province of North
SumatraSumatra stretches across the island of Sumatra
between the
Indian OceanIndian Ocean and the
Strait Malacca . It borders Aceh
province on the northwest and
RiauRiau and West
SumatraSumatra provinces in the
southeast. It has an area of 72,981 km². The province contains a
broad, low plain along the Strait of Malacca on which the provincial
capital, Medan, is located. In the south and west, the land rises to
the mountain range that runs the length of Sumatra; the mountains here
are dominated by
Lake Toba , formed from the caldera of an ancient
volcano. Several large islands in the
Indian OceanIndian Ocean off the west coast
of
SumatraSumatra are currently part of North Sumatra, most notably Nias
Island and the
Batu Islands .

There are 419 islands in propisi North Sumatra. The outer islands is
the island Simuk (
Nias ), and the island Berhala in the Strait of
SumatraSumatra (Malacca).

Nias archipelago consists of the island as the main island and other
smaller islands in the vicinity.
Nias Islands located off the coast of
western
Indian OceanIndian Ocean . Administration center located in Gunung Sitoli
.

Batu Islands consist of 51 islands with four major islands: Sibuasi,
Pini, Tanahbala, Tanahmasa. Pulautelo administrative center on the
island Sibuasi.
Batu Islands located in the southeast of the island of
Nias. Other islands in the North Sumatra: Imanna, Pasu, Bawa,
Hamutaia, Batumakalele, Lego, Masa, Bau, Simaleh, Makole, Jake, and
Sigata, Wunga.

In North Sumatra, there are currently two national parks, the Gunung
Leuser National Park and
Batang Gadis National Park . According to the
Ministerial Decree, No. 44 of 2005, the forest area in North Sumatra
today 3.74212 million hectares (ha). Which consists of a Natural
Reserve Area / Natural Conservation Area covering an area of 477 070
ha, 1.29733 million ha of protected forest, limited production forest
879 270 ha, Permanent production forest 1,035,690 ha and production
forest that can be converted covering 52 760 ha.

But this figure character is de jure alone. Because as a de facto ,
the existing forests is not covering it anymore. Happens a lot of
damage due to encroachment and illegal logging . So far, over 206,000
ha of forest in
SumatraSumatra has experienced changes in function. Has been
turned into plantations, transmigration. And of the total, as many as
163,000 ha of plantations and 42,900 ha for transmigration area.

North
SumatraSumatra is currently subdivided into 25 regencies and 8
autonomous cities , listed below with their (provisional) populations
at the 2010 Census and according to the latest (2014) estimates. With
proposals under consideration to create three additional provinces
from parts of the present North Sumatra, these are grouped below
according to the putative new province in which they are situated:

Notes * the area of Tanjung Balai city is included in the figure for
Asahan Regency, from which it was carved out in 2007. # the areas of
North
Labuhan Batu Regency and South
Labuhan Batu Regency are included
in the figure for Labuhan Batu Regency, from which they were carved
out in 2007.

North
SumatraSumatra is sub-divided into 25 regencies and 8 cities (formerly
municipalities ); which in turn are sub-divided into 325 sub-districts
; which in turn are further sub-divided into 5,456 villages .

DEMOGRAPHICS

POPULATION

North
SumatraSumatra recorded a population of 12,985,075 in the 2010
national census, making the 4th most populous province in Indonesia,
with a sex ratio of 99.59 men per 100 women. The latest estimate (for
January 2014) is 13,527,937.

North
SumatraSumatra is a multi-ethnic province. The Batak, Nias, and the
Malay peoples are regarded as the native people of this province. The
east coast of North
SumatraSumatra is generally inhabited by Malays and
Chinese. The Javanese resides around
Deli Serdang Regency, including
Medan, while the West coast of province is mainly inhabited the
Pakpak, Mandailing and Minangkabau peoples. The central region around
Lake Toba, is predominantly inhabited by the
BatakBatak peoples. The Nias
people reside mostly in
Nias Island and the surrounding islands. With
the opening of tobacco plantations in East
SumatraSumatra during the Dutch
East Indies era, the colonial government employed many contract
laborers for plantations. The newcomers were mostly Javanese and
Chinese, and included a small Indian community.

As for percentage, the
BatakBatak make up 44,95% out of all population,
including
BatakBatak Karo and Mandailing. The Javanese comes as second with
30,62%, the Malay add up to 5,92% and next is the Chinese with 5,75%.
Nias people make up around 4,10% and the rest are Minangkabau (2,66%),
Acehnese (1,27%), Indian (0,80%) and other ethnics (1,15%) the
BatakBatak and its sub-ethnics distributed as Toba, Simalungun, Karo,
Pakpak, Angkola and Mandailing

The distribution of the tribes, clans and ethnicities in North
SumatraSumatra is as follows:

In general, a widely used language is Indonesian . The Malays around
Deli Serdang and Langkat majority using
Malay languages that has
similarity with Peraknese Malay language, as for Malays in
MedanMedan using
Indonesian more than the Malay language itself. The eastern coastal
Malays around Serdang Bedagai, Pangkalan Dodek, Batubara, Asahan, and
Tanjung Balai, using a Malay dialect "o" as well as in Labuhan Batu
with a slight difference of manner. The Javanese people, especially
around rural and plantation areas using Javanese as daily
conversation, meanwhile the urban Javanese mostly using Indonesian.

More than 95 percent out of all residents are either
IslamIslam or
Christians, with the rest are Buddhist, Hindus, and folk religion such
as Confucian, Parmalim, and Taoist. These are the list religion that
recognized in North
SumatraSumatra are:

North
SumatraSumatra is rich in natural resources such as natural gas in the
area of Tandam,
Binjai and petroleum in Pangkalan Brandan, Langkat
which has been explored since the days of the Dutch East Indies.
Besides that, in Kuala Tanjung, Asahan, there are the company named PT
INALUM (abbreviated of
IndonesiaIndonesia Aluminium) that engaged in ore mining
and smelting of aluminum which is the only one in Southeast Asia.

The rivers that disgorge in the mountains around
Lake Toba is also a
natural resource that is potential enough to be an exploited to
resource of hydropower plants. Asahan hydropower which is the largest
hydropower plant in
SumatraSumatra Island is located on Porsea in Toba
Samosir Regency.

Moreover, in the mountains there are many geothermal hot spots were
very likely to be developed as a source of thermal energy or steam
that can then be transformed into electrical energy.

The province is famous for its plantation area, until now, the
plantation economy of the province remains to be excellent. The
plantations are managed by private companies and the state. SOE
Plantation area is located in North Sumatra, among others PT
Perkebunan Nusantara II (PTPN II), PTPN IV and PTPN III.

Besides North
SumatraSumatra is also famous for its plantation area. Until
now, the plantation economy of the province remains to be excellent.
The plantations are managed by private companies also the state. North
SumatraSumatra produces rubber, cocoa, tea, palm oil, coffee, cloves,
coconut, cinnamon, and tobacco. The plantation is spread in East coast
area such as Deli Serdang, Serdang Bedagai Langkat, Simalungun,
Asahan, Labuhan Batu, and also around west coast: Central and South
Tapanuli. Paddy field in Ambarita village, Simanindo, Samosir
Island

* The size of rice farming. In 2005 the total area of 807.302
hectares of crops stay, or down about 16.906 hectares compared to 2004
reaching vast 824.208 hectares. The productivity of rice plants in
2005 was able to be increased to 43.49 quintals per hectare ranges
from 2004 are still 43.13 quintals per hectare, and the rice crop
fields change into 26.26 quintals of 24.73 quintals per hectare. In
2005, the rice surplus in North
SumatraSumatra reached 429 tons from about
1/2/27 million tonnes of total rice production in this area.
* The size of rubber plantations. In 2002 the total area of rubber
plantations in
SumatraSumatra is 489.491 hectares with a production of
443.743 tonnes. While in 2005, the area under rubber decreased or
stayed 477,000 hectares with production also dropped to only 392,000
tons.
* Irrigation: The size of technical irrigation entirely in North
SumatraSumatra is 132.254 ha that covers an area of 174 irrigation site. A
total of 96.823 ha at 7 Irrigation area is very critical damage.
* Agricultural Products: North
SumatraSumatra produces rubber, cocoa, tea,
palm oil, coffee, cloves, coconut, cinnamon, and tobacco. These
commodities have been exported to many countries and contributing huge
foreign exchange for Indonesia. In addition to commodities, North
SumatraSumatra is also known as a producer of horticultural commodities
(vegetables and fruits); e.g. Medanese Orange, Deli Guava, Cabbage
Vegetable, Tomato, Potato and Carrot generated by Karo, Simalungun and
North Tapanuli. The horticultural products have been exported to
MalaysiaMalaysia and Singapore.

SumatraSumatra Mandheling and
SumatraSumatra Lintong coffee beans are grown in
North
SumatraSumatra and largely exported to the United States. Mandheling is
named after the similarly spelt
Mandailing peopleMandailing people located in North
Sumatra, Indonesia. The name is the result of a misunderstanding by
the first foreign purchaser of the variety, and no coffee is actually
produced in the "Mandailing region". Lintong on the other hand, is
named after the Lintong district, also located in North Sumatra.

BANKING

In addition to national banks, state banks and international banks,
currently there are 61 units of Credited Peoples Banks (BPR) and 7
Credited Sharia Bank (BPRS). Data from Bank
IndonesiaIndonesia showed, in
January 2006, the Third Party Funds (TPF), which absorbed BPR reached
Rp 253.366.627.000 (around 19 million US$) and loans reached Rp
260.152.445.000 (around 19.5 million US$. While assets reached Rp
340.880 837.000 (25.5 million US$).

North
SumatraSumatra has several Industrial sit, mainly based around Deli
Serdang.
MedanMedan Industrial Area (Indonesian : Kawasan Industri Medan)
stands for KIM is the main industrial complex in Medan.

Sei Mangkei Industrial Area

Sei Mangkei Industrial Area, also known as Sei Mangkei - Integrated
Sustainable Palm Oil Cluster (SM-ISPOIC), is located in Simalungun
Regency and was formally opened on 12 June 2010. Four companies have
joined in this area, with investment costs totalling up to Rp1.5
trillion ($176 million). In April 2011, three other companies also
joined in the Sei Mangkei area. They are Procter ">
SipisopisoSipisopiso ,
North
SumatraSumatra Surfing in Tello Island,
Nias

*
Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world. Located in
the centre of North Sumatra, the lake can be reached via Parapat
(Simalungun regency), Tongging (Karo regency), and
Balige (Toba
Samosir regency).
*
Samosir Island is a volcanic island in middle of Lake Toba, It is
a popular tourist destination due to its exotic
BatakBatak history and the
vistas it offers. The tourist resorts are concentrated in the Tuktuk,
Tomok, Simanindo, and
Pangururan areas.
*
Bukit Lawang known for the largest animal sanctuary of Sumatran
orangutan (around 5,000 orangutans occupy the area), and also the main
access point to the
Gunung Leuser National Park from the east side.
*
Nias Island is an island off the western coast of Sumatra.
Nias is
an internationally popular surfing destination. The best known surfing
area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam, on the southern
tip. This is enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake. Tourists
can visit the island by plane from
MedanMedan , or by ferry from
SibolgaSibolga .
*
Bawomataluo village is a settlement in the
Teluk Dalam province of
the South
Nias Regency of Indonesia. The village is built on a
flat-topped hill, the name Bawomataluo meaning "Sun Hill", and is one
of the best-preserved villages built in traditional style.
*
Berastagi is a small highland town located 63 kilometers to the
south of Medan, and is a popular weekend destination for city
dwellers.
* Dolok Tinggi Raja has a unique soil color is white because it is
located in a limestone hill that resembles snow, and also in the
middle of this area there are lakes with hot water with blue-green
colored, located in Tinggi Raja, Simalungun.
*
Lumbini Natural ParkLumbini Natural Park is a
BuddhistBuddhist theravada-style temple that is
similar to Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.
* Dua Warna Waterfall is a two-coloured waterfall located on
Sibolangit.
* Poncan Island is a resort including a beaches located on west
offshore of
SibolgaSibolga city.
* Berhala Island is a 2,5 hectares island located in the Malaka
Strait near the boundary of
IndonesiaIndonesia and Malaysia. It is a popular
place for snorkeling and watching turtle nesting. Visitors can reach
the island via boat from Sergei in the Serdang Bedagai regency.
*
SipisopisoSipisopiso , one of the highest waterfalls in Indonesia, is
located near Tongging in Karo regency.
* Simalem Resort, is a 5 star resort located around 8 km from Munthe
village, Karo Regency. This place is the good place to sighseeing the
whole
Lake Toba from top of the Hill.
* Taman Iman, Indonesian name for The Garden of Faith located in
Sitinjo village, Dairi around 10 km away from
Sidikalang , it is a
religious garden with dioramas from 5 religion of
IndonesiaIndonesia (Islam,
Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Confucian)

*
Bahal temple , an ancient
BuddhistBuddhist monastery located on Padang
Bolak,
Padang Lawas RegencyPadang Lawas Regency , around 3 hours journey with car from
Padangsidempuan . The temple believes constructed between the 11th to
13th century CE.
* Sigura-Gura Waterfall located on Porsea, Toba
Samosir Regency,
this is a waterfall that has a height that reaches 250 meters.
*
Rahmat International Wildlife Museum and Gallery , is a natural
history museum in Medan. The museum displays various taxidermy
collections of wildlife from the smallest to the largest according to
the habitat.
* Tangkahan is a tourist site situated on the edge of the Gunung
Leuser national park, around 20 km due north from Bukit Lawang, The
main tourist draw at Tangkahan is the presence of
Sumatran elephant .
* Salib Kasih, Indonesian name for Love Cross, located on
TarutungTarutung .
The development objective of this cross-shaped monument is to
commemorate the service and dedication of Dr. Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen
which is a missionary from northern Germany. This Parks built on Dolok
(Hill) Siatas Barita.
* Lingga is one of the village in the Karo Regency. located at an
altitude of about 1200 m above sea level, approximately 15 km from
Brastagi and 5 km from the Kabanjahe. Linga is unique Karo traditional
house and village that has been built an estimated of 250 years ago,
but still sturdy

Polonia International Airport (Indonesian : Bandar Udara
Internasional Polonia) (IATA : MES, ICAO : WIMM) (popularly POLONIA
AIRPORT, as in
IndonesiaIndonesia , BANDARA POLONIA) is located about 5 km from
the Central Business District of Medan. It is the first international
airport in Medan, although the airport is under air force authority.
Polonia airport is the site of several crashes, is inappropriately
located in the center of the city of Medan, has a difficult takeoff
path and a short runway.

North
SumatraSumatra has an international seaport at
Belawan , near Medan
and is now preparing to have a new seaport at Kuala Tanjung, in
Batubara Regency , for about Rp.1 trillion ($114 million) budget.

In North Sumatra, there is 2098.05 kilometers down a state-road,
which pertained only steady 1095.70 kilometers or 52.22 percent and
418.60 kilometers or 19.95 percent in a state of being, remaining in a
state of disrepair. While of 2752.41 kilometers of provincial roads,
which is in a state of steady length 1237.60 kilometers or 44.96 per
cent, while in a state of being 558.46 kilometers, or 20.29 percent.
As damaged roads length 410.40 kilometers, or 14.91 percent, and the
damaged length 545.95 kilometers, or 19.84 percent.